UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA         AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

BENJ.    IDE    WHEELER,    PRESIDENT 

COLLEGE   OF  AGRICULTURE  thomas  forsyth  hunt,  dean  and  director 

__,_„_.    —y  H.    E.   VAN    NORMAN,    Vice-Director    and    Dean 

BLnWtLtT  University   Farv    School 


CIRCULAR  No.  145 
(December,  1915) 


SUGGESTIONS  TO   POULTRYMEN 
CONCERNING  CHICKEN-POX 

By  J.  E,   BEACH 


PREVENTION 

Chicken-pox  and  the  infections  known  as  avian  diphtheria,  canker 
and  swell-head,  which  usually  accompany  it,  are  so  contagious  that 
few  large  flocks  permanently  escape  their  ravages.  It  has  been  demon- 
strated at  the  University  Farm,  Davis,  California,  and  elsewhere  that 
flocks  of  fowls  raised  from  the  time  of  hatching  in  new  buildings,  on 
ground  not  previously  used  for  poultry  raising,  do  not  develop  these 
diseases,  but  it  is  believed  that  disease  may  be  introduced  by  infected 
fowls  or  by  apparently  healthy  fowls  brought  in  from  infected  flocks 
or  by  wild  birds.  Every  poultryman  should  be  constantly  on  the 
watch  for  cases  of  these  diseases  for  the  following  reasons :  First. 
chicken-pox  is  so  highly  contagious  and  the  fowls  live  in  such  close 
contact  with  each  other  that  once  the  disease  gains  entrance  it  spreads 
very  rapidly;  Second,  poultry  are  often  kept  in  such  large  flocks  that 
it  is  difficult  for  the  attendant  to  note  the  condition  of  the  individual 
fowls.  On  this  account  the  disease  may  secure  a  strong  foothold  in 
the  flock  before  it  is  discovered. 

The  preventive  procedure  consists  of  (a)  general  preventive  meas- 
ures, and  (&)   preventive  vaccination. 

(a)  General  Preventive  Measures. — 1.  The  isolation  of  all  diseased 
fowls  from  the  flock  and  the  removal  and  burning  of  all  dead  fowls. 

2.  The  cleaning  and  disinfecting  of  the  houses  and  yards.  The 
resistance  of  chicken-pox  virus  to  the  action  of  disinfectants  makes  it 
imperative  to  disinfect  the  houses  and  yards  thoroughly. 

3.  The  quarantining  for  two  weeks  of  all  the  new  stock  and  of  birds 
returned  from  poultry  exhibits. 

4.  The  careful  examination  of  each  fowl  occasionally,  if  the  disease 
is  present  in  the  neighborhood. 


(b)  Preventive  Vaccination. — The  immunization  of  fowls  against 
chicken-pox  has  been  practiced  by  a  number  of  investigators,*  and 
at  this  Experiment  Station  during  the  past  year  a  method  has  been 
developed  which  gives  such  good  results  that  its  adoption  by  practical 
poultrymen  seems  warranted. 

When  to  Vaccinate  against  Chicken-pox. — This  Experiment  Station 
advises  all  poultry  owners  to  vaccinatef  their  fowls  against  chicken- 
pox  as  soon  as  its  presence  in  the  flock  is  noticed.  The  disease  is  most 
prevalent  in  the  late  fall  and  winter.  Since  chicken-pox  is  easily 
recognized  and  spreads  slowly,  the  careful  poultryman  will  always 
discover  its  presence  before  many  birds  are  affected  and,  if  the  fowls 
are  immediately  vaccinated,  the  outbreak  can  be  checked  with  very 
slight  loss  to  the  owner.  For  this  reason  this  Station  advises  the 
poultryman  not  to  go  to  the  expense  of  vaccination  before  the  disease 
is  actually  present  in  his  flock. 

The  vaccine  is  prepared  in  such  a  manner  that  there  is  little  or  no 
danger  of  its  use  causing  chicken-pox  in  healthy  fowls.  Neither  does 
the  vaccine  seem  to  have  any  harmful  effect  on  the  general  condition 
of  the  birds.  The  egg  yield,  however,  will  be  somewhat  decreased  for 
a  few  days  following  vaccination,  but  this  decrease  will  be  no  greater 
than  would  be  expected  if  the  fowls  were  handled  for  any  other  reason. 

Method  of  Vaccination. — The  vaccine  is  administered  by  injecting 
it  beneath  the  skin  with  a  hypodermic  syringe.  Two  doses  of  one  cubic, 
centimeter  each  are  given  five  to  seven  days  apart.  The  most  con- 
venient place  for  administration  is  beneath  the  skin  of  the  side  under 
the  right  thigh,  the  skin  at  that  point  being  comparatively  free  from 
feathers.  The  left  wing  is  held  back,  the  fowl  laid  on  its  left  side,  and 
the  right  wing  and  leg  and  feathers  held  back  with  the  last  three  fingers 
of  the  left  hand.     The  exposed  skin  is  then  cleansed  with  a  piece  of 


*Manteufel,  Arb.  d.  Kaiserl.  Gesundh.-Amtes,  XXXIII  (1910),  305.  Hadley 
and  Beach,  Proc.  Am.  Vet.  Med.  Assn.,  1913,  p.  704.  Giltner,  Ann.  Rep.  Mich. 
State  Board  of  Agr.,  1914,  p.  215.  flaring  and  Kofoid,  Am.  Vet.  Rev.,  Vol.  XL 
(1912),  p.  717;  Proc.  Am.  Vet.  Med.  Assn.,  1911,  p.  413.  Mack  and  Records, 
Agr.  Exp.  Station,  University  of  Nevada,  Reno,  Nev. 

t  The  method  of  preparing  the  vaccine  is  as  follows:  One-half  gram  of 
chicken-pox  scabs  to  100  cc.  of  physiological  salt  solution  is  the  proportion 
used.  The  scabs  are  first  weighed  out  and  ground  in  a  sterile  mortar  with  a 
small  amount  of  the  sterile  salt  solution  until  they  are  pulverized.  This 
material  is  then  filtered  through  absorbent  cotton  into  a  sterile  flask  or  bottle 
and  the  remainder  of  the  salt  solution  poured  through  the  filter  so  as  to  wash 
out  as  much  of  the  pulverized  material  as  possible.  The  flask  is  then  stop- 
pered, placed  in  a  water  bath  and  heated  at  a  constant  temperature  of  55°  C. 
for  one  hour.  The  vaccine  is  now  ready  for  use.  It  is  very  essential  that  the 
vaccine  be  used  as  soon  after  preparation  as  possible.  Since  no  preservative  is 
used  it  will  deteriorate  if  allowed  to  stand.  If  old  vaccine  is  used  poor  results 
in  the  form  of  abscesses  at  the  point  of  inoculation  and  the  death  of  the  fowl 
are  to  be  expected. 


Fig.  1. — Condition  of  a  vaccinated  fowl  twelve  days  after  inoculation  with 

chicken-pox  virus. 


Fig.  2. — Condition  of  non-vaccinated  fowl  twelve  days  after  inoculation   with 
chicken-pox  virus.     The  same  virus  was  used  for  both  these  fowls. 


cotton  saturated  with  disinfectant  solution  (2  per  cent  solution  of  com- 
pound solution  of  cresol)  and  picked  up  with  the  thumb  and  forefinger 
of  the  left  hand.  Then  with  the  right  hand  the  syringe  needle  is  in- 
serted beneath  the  skin  and  the  proper  dose  injected.  A  syringe  of  six 
cubic  centimeter  capacity  is  well  suited  for  this  work.  The  needle 
should  be  16  or  18  gauge  and  from  2  to  2y2  inches  in  length.  With 
a  little  practice  one  man  with  an  assistant  to  catch  the  birds  can 
vaccinate  from  100  to  150  per  hour. 

Precautions  to  be  Observed. — 1.  The  vaccine  is  supplied  in  an  un- 
preserved  condition  and  will  soon  decompose  and  become  unfit  for 
use.  Therefore,  if  possible,  it  should  be  used  within  three  days.  If 
old,  decomposed  vaccine  is  used  bad  results  will  follow. 

2.  Vaccine  should  be  kept  in  a  cool  place,  on  ice  if  practicable, 
until  used  and  only  one  bottle  opened  at  a  time. 

3.  A  small,  wide-mouthed,  covered  vessel,  such  as  a  quarter-pint 
milk  bottle  or  a  jelly-glass,  should  be  provided  as  a  vaccine  container 
from  which  to  fill  the  syringe.  This  should  be  sterilized  by  boiling 
before  it  is  used  and  should  be  kept  covered  at  all  times  except  when 
the  syringe  is  being  filled. 

4.  The  syringe  should  be  sterilized  by  boiling,  or  by  soaking  for 
several  minutes  in  a  ten  per  cent  solution  of  compound  solution  of 
cresol,  followed  by  rinsing  with  boiled  water. 

5.  All  diseased  fowls  should  be  removed  from  the  flock  and  treated. 

6.  The  immunizing  effect  of  the  vaccine  does  not  take  place  immedi- 
ately; therefore,  the  fowls  already  infected  at  the  time  of  vaccination 
or  soon  after  will  in  most  cases  develop  chicken-pox  lesions.  Such 
cases  are  usually  very  mild  and  will  soon  recover  if  the  fowls  are  re- 
moved from  the  flock  and  the  lesions  treated. 

7.  The  hypodermic  needle  should  be  inserted  just  under  the  skin 
and  not  in  the  muscle. 

TREATMENT 

Of  the  various  kinds  of  disinfectants  recommended  for  the  treat- 
ment of  this  disease  tincture  of  iodine  has  been  found  to  be  the  most 
satisfactory.  The  scabs  which  form  on  the  tumors  of  the  comb,  wattles 
or  skin  should  be  removed  with  a  dull  knife  or  a  pair  of  forceps  and 
tincture  of  iodine  applied  to  the  exposed  surface. 

Collections  of  exudate  on  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  mouth 
should  be  removed  with  forceps  or  a  curette  and  the  exposed  membrane 
treated  with  tincture  of  iodine.     All  collections  of  exudate  within  the 


:-'<^ 


'■'-**-*«i«^ 


Fig.  3. — This  figure  shows  the  method  of  holding  a  fowl  and  administering 
chicken-pox  vaccine. 


Fig.  4. — Apparatus  required  for  vaccination:  1.  Large  bottle  of  vaccine. 
2.  Pan  of  disinfectant  for  cleansing  the  skin  at  the  point  of  injection.  3.  Hypo- 
dermic syringe.  The  syringe  shown  is  of  6  cc.  capacity  and  provided  with  a 
burr  on  the  plunger  to  regulate  the  dose.  4.  Small  bottle  of  vaccine  from  which 
the  syringe  is  filled. 


eyelids  can  usually  be  removed  by  pressing  with  the  thumb  and  finger 
tips  around  the  eye.  If  any  of  the  exudate  should  adhere  to  the 
cornea  it  should  be  removed  with  forceps  and  it  may  sometimes  be 
necessary  to  use  forceps  also  in  removing  the  exudate  from  beneath 
the  third  eyelid  at  the  inner  corner  of  the  eye.  Afterwards  drop  a 
small  amount  of  tincture  of  iodine  into  the  eye. 

The  tincture  of  iodine  can  be  applied  most  conveniently  in  all  cases 
with  a  medicine  dropper.  Treatment  should  be  repeated  as  often  as 
the  scabs  or  exudate  reform.  Any  fowl  that  does  not  show  a  marked 
improvement  in  condition  after  three  or  four  treatments  will  usually 
recover  very  slowly.  In  such  cases,  unless  the  fowl  be  very  valuable 
for  show,  breeding  or  other  purposes,  it  is  more  economical  to  destroy 
it  than  to  give  further  treatment. 

Collections  of  exudate  within  the  nasal  sinuses  always  produce 
marked  swellings  of  the  face.  This  condition  is  relieved  by  making  an 
incision  through  the  skin  over  the  swelling,  removing  all  the  exudate 
with  a  pair  of  forceps  or  curette,  and  then  packing  the  cavity  with 
absorbent  cotton  saturated  with  tincture  of  iodine.  The  cotton  pack 
is  necessary  to  keep  the  incision  through  the  skin  from  healing  too 
rapidly.  If  not  packed,  the  wound  will  quickly  heal,  the  exudate  re- 
form and  no  benefit  be  derived  from  the  operation.  The  pack  also 
assists  in  controlling  the  hemorrhage  which  is  always  severe.  When 
the  hemorrhage  is  unusually  severe,  it  should  be  checked  by  the  appli- 
cation of  a  strong  caustic,  such  as  silver  nitrate.  The  cotton  pack 
should  be  removed,  the  wound  cleansed  and  a  new  pack  put  in  every 
two  or  three  days  as  long  as  the  exudate  continues  to  form.  When, 
upon  removal  of  the  pack,  it  is  found  that  no  exudate  has  formed,  the 
pack  may  be  left  out  and  the  wound  allowed  to  heal.  The  administra- 
tion of  vaccine  in  addition  to  local  treatment  will  shorten  the  course 
of  the  disease  and  decrease  the  mortality  from  all  types  of  disease. 

Figure  5  illustrates  desirable  instruments  to  have  on  a  poultry  ranch 
for  the  treatment  of  chicken-pox  and  "canker."  The  forceps  with 
"spoon-shaped"  jaws  are  unequaled  for  removing  canker  from  the 
tongue  and  larynx.  The  small  forceps  are  useful  in  removing  chicken- 
pox  scabs,  cheesy  material  from  the  eyes  and  canker  from  the  cleft 
palate  and  from  the  inside  of  the  larynx.  The  scalpel  is  necessary  to 
make  an  incision  through  the  skin  to  remove  collections  of  cheesy 
material  from  within  the  nasal  sinuses.  The  next  instrument,  a  curette, 
is  for  use  in  removing  "canker"  from  the  roof  and  sides  of  the  mouth. 
The  iodine  is  a  very  efficient  remedy  to  apply  to  the  raw  surfaces  after 
removing  chicken-pox  scabs,  "canker"  from  the  mouth,  and  cheesy 


; 


Fig.  5. — Desirable  instruments  and  supplies  to  have  on  a  poultry  ranch 
for  treatment  of  chicken-pox  and  "canker." 


material  from  the  eyes  and  nasal  sinuses.  This  can  best  be  applied 
with  the  pipette  or  medicine  dropper.  The  absorbent  cotton  is  used 
to  remove  blood  before  applying  iodine  and  to  plug  the  opening  after 
the  removal  of  cheesy  exudate  from  the  nasal  sinuses. 

The  catching  coop,  illustrated  on  page  12  of  Circular  No.  142  of 
this  Station,  will  be  found  convenient  for  vaccinating  work. 

Announcement  Concerning  the  Sale  of  Chicken-pox  Vaccine  at 
Cost. — The  University  of  California  manufactures  chicken-pox  vaccine 
and  will  sell  it  at  actual  cost  of  production  to  any  resident  of  the  state 
who  is  engaged  in  poultry  raising,  providing  the  applicant  furnishes 
satisfactory  evidence  that  chicken-pox  exists  among  his  fowls.  At 
present  the  cost  is  three-quarters  of  a  cent  per  do.se  (lcc).  If  the 
vaccine  is  sold  to  any  person  for  use  on  fowls  other  than  his  own  it  is 
with  the  understanding  that  it  will  be  furnished  to  the  owner  at  the 
same  price  charged  by  this  Station.  The  vaccine  will  be  furnished  to 
applicants  in  two  lots,  the  shipments  being  made  five  to  seven  days 
apart.  This  is  done  so  that  freshly  prepared  vaccine  may  be  had  for 
each  vaccination.  Hypodermic  syringes  with  which  to  administer  the 
vaccine  can  be  procured  from  the  University  at  a  cost  of  $3.00. 

All  applicants  should  specify  in  writing  the  amount  of  vaccine 
desired  or  the  number  of  fowls  to  be  treated.  In  case  vaccine  is  ordered 
by  telephone  or  telegraph  a  confirming  order  signed  by  the  owner  of 
the  fowls  should  be  sent  by  mail.  Vaccine  will  be  shipped  only  when 
cash  accompanies  the  order,  or  C.  0.  D.  When  not  impossible,  orders 
will  be  shipped  the  same  day  they  are  received. 

It  is  important  that  this  station  receive  information  concerning 
the  results  obtained  from  the  use  of  the  vaccine,  and  for  this  reason 
an  application  blank  and  report  cards  are  enclosed  with  each  shipment. 
The  application  is  to  be  filled  out  and  returned  immediately  in  con- 
firmation of  the  order,  and  the  report  cards  are  to  be  forwarded  at 
intervals  of  two  weeks  until  four  cards  have  been  sent. 

Address  all  communications  to  the 

VETERINARY  DIVISION, 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA. 


